5 Gamers enter Web Summit...

Web Summit came to Portugal in 2016 with the promise of bringing investment, technology, and relevant topics to discuss innovation and trends in the current market. Our Gamers Ana Mota, Carol Perina, Cátia Figueiredo, Cessari Beltrame, and Vânia Silva decided, on a personal note, to experience the event from the inside. In the end, they came out with concrete ideas about its potential. Let's meet them:

Ana Mota

The experience at Web Summit was very positive. The contact with technology and future trends in various areas is very interesting. The effect that I highlight from the event is to make us think! I say this because they don't "teach" us anything. They just give us small summaries of what is being thought about in numerous technology-related topics, and then it's up to us to follow the path we want and investigate/put into practice what makes the most sense in our reality. Since it is a technology event and we are in a software company, I implicitly ended up drawing useful insights. I returned with a more open mind to the consequences and the care to be taken with technology, as well as a greater awareness of the reality that awaits companies.

Carol Perina

I really enjoyed the content and the environment. At Web Summit, we can be in touch with major concerns and trends. For example, a topic that interests me is diversity within companies, whether gender, racial, or other dimensions that build this concept. I left there researching which companies today publicly have this goal and what they do to achieve it. It's not enough for companies to set diversity as a goal; measurable metrics need to be created to achieve it in a specific period and take actions in that direction.

​And when it seems difficult to achieve the metric, hiring assuming that the person is not yet ready, but that the company wants to help them (with training or other tools) on a joint path to achieve the desired diversity of profiles. Thus, companies end up showing their commitment to diversity and inclusion, making a real contribution to a more diverse market in their intervention region. I came back from the event with more questions than answers, and I find that very interesting! I returned to my daily life very happy to work in technology and to know that I am part of the future present.

This experience allowed me to contact with important themes. Examples of these themes are new marketing trends and strategies; the possibility of technology being - or not - a driving force for inclusion and diversity; environmental sustainability and issues related to privacy/data protection. From my participation in the event, I highlight how it sought to be inclusive by integrating companies at different stages of development and attendees/speakers with diverse backgrounds and interests.

I also felt that there was a clear attempt to reduce gender inequality among participants. As an example, I participated in Web Summit with a promotional ticket from the Women in Tech community. After the experience, I am more alert to issues such as new work models, flexibility, and their impact on work; the importance of putting the customer at the centre of all product decisions, and the validation of the premise that error is necessary to move forward and create innovation.

Cessari Beltrame

The experience was very enriching because we had contact with various companies and market technology trends. The most interesting thing was to see that, at the event, there is space for everyone, from startups to multinational companies. One moment that stood out for me was, for example, when they brought three completely different people on stage to talk about security and how our data is being used around the world. These people were Edward Snowden, Michael Kratsios (CTO of the US Government), and Margrete Vestager (European Commissioner for Competition). Being there was important to understand how markets can converge and how all changes can impact us when we are part of a technology ecosystem!

Vânia Silva

Going to Web Summit was a very positive experience because it allowed me to learn about a new concept. During the event, there are simultaneous presentations of companies, startups, talks, and knowledge sharing. The talks were my main objective because I felt that's where I could absorb more knowledge and experiences, and there were many talks whose topics interested me. In the end, I had a much broader view of technology, people management, customer experience, and new trends.